ATCN starts grassroots motorport development programme

Habeed Nagode and other riders celebrating their trophies at the end of the maiden Nasarawa Motorsports Championship in Lafia… at the weekend

The Automobile and Touring Club of Nigeria (ATCN) has started a developmental programme aimed at growing the country’s motorsport industry to international standard.

Part of the programme is the recruitment and training of 35 young Nigerians, especially students, who will represent the country in an international competition in which Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire will provide 15 athletes to complete the 50 slots reserved for Africa.

ATCN, which was established in 2009, is affiliated to the Federation International de l’Automobile (FIA), which represents over 60 million road and track users from 246 member clubs across the world.

Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, ATCN President, Mr Ishaku Bamaiyi, said the body would train over 150 students in karting across schools, adding that his group is in partnership with the Motorsport UK, India, Sri Lanka and Emirates Motorsport Organisation, which is the club’s regional training provider appointed by FIA.

He said: “The essence of this programme is to promote motoring sports at the grassroots level by targeting the young ones. Please note that these trainings are part of the FIA motorsport development programme.

“We want to stir up interest of participants through karting in schools to develop their skills or talents because many of them can build careers in motoring sports, which is a big business all over the world.”

Bamaiyi noted that the club promotes global tourism, environmental protection and awareness matters, as well as global campaign for road safety, which are some of the cardinal principles of the mobility arm of the FIA. 

“The guiding